Ever wanted to ride a lion, hug a bear, or maybe race a cheetah? A controversial zoo in Argentina allows tourists the opportunity to experience such extreme close encounters with some of the most dangerous predators in the world.
Here at the Lujan Zoo near Buenos Aires visitors are pleasantly advised that they can indeed ride lions, cuddle bears, stroke tigers and feed cheetahs.
Cages are readily accessible to everyone, and we mean anyone, who paid the $50 fee and signed the paper relieving the zoo of any responsibility should you be eaten alive, or even just lose a digit or two. Lujan Zoo is about 50 miles from nearby metropolis Buenos Aires, and has an admission cost of just £5.
Visitors are even urged to pick up the smaller animals and play with them how ever they see fit, at a strong risk to themselves and the creatures.
And judging by what we’ve seen and heard, there appear to be no real safety regulations to protect either the humans or animals. On one perusal, we found several Internet blogs littered with pictures of tourists getting up close and personal with the animals.
Most shockingly perhaps, is the fact that children are allowed to enter all of the cages and fondle a range of animals that have the obvious potential to
k*ll or maim them.
Animal protection charity, The Born Free Foundation, has spoken out against the zoo and posted strong statements urging tourists not to visit. Will Travers, CEO of The Born Free Foundation states ominously, ‘Based on what I have seen displayed on the Lujan Zoo website, I am fearful that a terrible accident is going to happen.
He then added,”The zoo is, in my view, placing the lives of its visitors at great risk by encouraging them to have ‘close encounters’ with dangerous, potentially lethal, wild animals.
Anyone who has any knowledge of big cats will understand that they are wild animals and, as such, as unpredictable.’
As much as I disagree with the practices of this establishment, I must say that mounting a picture of me riding a lion in my bedroom would be awesome. There’s still time…
Here at the Lujan Zoo near Buenos Aires visitors are pleasantly advised that they can indeed ride lions, cuddle bears, stroke tigers and feed cheetahs.
Cages are readily accessible to everyone, and we mean anyone, who paid the $50 fee and signed the paper relieving the zoo of any responsibility should you be eaten alive, or even just lose a digit or two. Lujan Zoo is about 50 miles from nearby metropolis Buenos Aires, and has an admission cost of just £5.
Visitors are even urged to pick up the smaller animals and play with them how ever they see fit, at a strong risk to themselves and the creatures.
And judging by what we’ve seen and heard, there appear to be no real safety regulations to protect either the humans or animals. On one perusal, we found several Internet blogs littered with pictures of tourists getting up close and personal with the animals.
Most shockingly perhaps, is the fact that children are allowed to enter all of the cages and fondle a range of animals that have the obvious potential to
k*ll or maim them.
Animal protection charity, The Born Free Foundation, has spoken out against the zoo and posted strong statements urging tourists not to visit. Will Travers, CEO of The Born Free Foundation states ominously, ‘Based on what I have seen displayed on the Lujan Zoo website, I am fearful that a terrible accident is going to happen.
He then added,”The zoo is, in my view, placing the lives of its visitors at great risk by encouraging them to have ‘close encounters’ with dangerous, potentially lethal, wild animals.
Anyone who has any knowledge of big cats will understand that they are wild animals and, as such, as unpredictable.’
As much as I disagree with the practices of this establishment, I must say that mounting a picture of me riding a lion in my bedroom would be awesome. There’s still time…
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